Scaling Without Compromise: Three Years Leading Global Commissioning
Three years ago, our CEO, Louis Charlton, stepped into his role as Chief Executive Officer.
Three years later, to celebrate his anniversary, we caught up to discuss life in the hot seat.
Scaling Without Compromise: Three Years Leading Global Commissioning
How we built trust, grew 400%, and stayed true to what matters.
Three years ago, I stepped into the role of CEO at Global Commissioning, where I’ve been part of the founding team since day one.
We were already growing steadily, already trusted by a select group of clients, and already holding ourselves to a high standard. But I knew there was much more we could do for our clients, for our team, and for the industry.
Since then, we’ve scaled from a handful of staff to over 130 full-time employees. We’ve opened branches in Germany, Poland, Italy, Norway, Finland, and South Africa, all fully compliant, with local tax, visa, and legal structures in place. We have been listed in the FT1000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe for two consecutive years.
But for me, none of those numbers matter without the how.
We haven’t taken shortcuts.
We haven’t lowered the bar.
And we haven’t lost sight of why we started this business in the first place.
Commissioning isn’t just a service. It’s the last line of trust.
It’s easy to underestimate the significance of commissioning.
To most outside the industry, it’s just one of many technical phases in a data centre build. Another line in the programme. Another line in the budget.
But those of us who’ve worked at the sharp end know different.
Commissioning is the point at which everything is tested: people, systems, processes, and assumptions. It’s where the gaps show. It’s where decisions made months ago resurface. And it’s the moment the client finally asks: Can I trust what’s been delivered?
That’s why we built Global Commissioning on structure, accountability, and long-term ownership, not one-off project wins.
We made a decision early on: Let’s build a full-time staff team that works as one.
There are faster ways to scale. There are cheaper ways too.
But we knew that building a business on reliable commissioning required more than finding talent on demand.
It required building a team that lived and breathed the culture we wanted.
Today, every single commissioning manager, engineer or support staff at Global is employed directly.
We don’t outsource. We don’t parachute people in and hope for the best.
We support every team through every step of every project.
And we’re not just talking about logistics, we’re talking about real leadership.
Not just mobilisation, but check-ins. Not just site presence, but strategic input.
Our people aren’t forgotten once they’re deployed. They’re backed. Fully. That’s how we deliver consistency across borders, whether it’s Frankfurt, Oslo, Milan, or Johannesburg.
What we’ve achieved, and what it took.
Since the inception of Global, we’ve led commissioning on hyperscale campuses, retrofits, and high-pressure builds across Europe.
We’ve worked for some of the most recognisable names in the industry, and more importantly, we’ve been asked back.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when you show up consistently, when you say no to shortcuts.
And when you have a team that understands what’s at stake - not just technically, but reputationally.
Alongside delivery, we’ve invested in training, technology, and leadership development.
We’ve built tools to improve transparency and tracking.
We’ve refined how we scope, plan, test, and report, so that every project has the same structure behind it, no matter the location or the client.
All while keeping our cultural identity fully intact.
Culture doesn’t scale unless you protect it.
When a business grows 400% in three years, it’s put to the test.
People get stretched. Systems creak. Decision-making gets complicated.
And that’s where leadership either sharpens or loses focus. What’s kept us on course is the fact that we’ve never let go of the fundamentals.
We believe in our CLEAR values: Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Accountability, and Resilience.
And we live them every day, especially when it’s inconvenient.
We say no when timelines don’t make sense.
We stand by our teams when they raise risks.
We communicate clearly, even if it’s not what someone wants to hear.
We’ve had to make hard calls. We’ve had changes at the leadership table.
But those challenges have made us stronger, not weaker.
Because we know what we stand for, and we don’t move the goalposts.
What leadership means to me.
I didn’t take a traditional route into this role.
I started my career over 20 years ago, working in heavy industry, oil and gas, and eventually commissioning. I spent years offshore, on rotations across the world. I saw what good leadership looked like - and what poor leadership cost.
That’s why, as CEO, I don’t believe in leading from a distance.
I don’t believe in shouting to be heard. And I definitely don’t believe in hierarchy for the sake of it.
For me, leadership is showing up when it matters.
It’s bringing clarity in chaos.
It’s saying “We’re not ready”, and being trusted when you do.
There’s a quote I often come back to:
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
That’s not marketing. It’s mission.
And it’s why our clients continue to trust us, not just for delivery, but for decision-making.
Looking ahead.
The next phase of our growth is already happening, but it’s not about speed.
It’s about depth.
We’re doubling down on leadership development, internal capability, and international consistency.
We’re improving our systems and processes, not just expanding them. And we’re continuing to build long-term partnerships, not one-off wins.
If you’re in this space, whether you’re an end user, GC, or owner-operator, you’ll already know the pressure that commissioning brings.
We’re here for that moment.
We’ve been built for it.
And we’re just getting started.
- Louis Charlton
Chief Executive Officer